Emergency-brake.



No 850,414, PATENTED APR. 15, 1907.

. J. A. BIRDSALL. EMERGENCY BRAKE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 9, 1906.

lNl/ENTOH A TTOR/VE Y urn. srarEs PATENT OFFICE.

. Jenn a. BIRDSALL, or ETHEL, couuscrrcur.

EMERGENCY-BRAKE.

I No. 850,41fl.

E5 W'ith these ends in view I have devised the simple and novel brake, of which the following description in connection. with. the accompanying drawings is amaeciiicatio-n, reference characters being used. to indicate the several 2 parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the rear axle of an automobile with my novel emergencybrake applied thereto, the frame of the automobile being in section; nd Fig. 2 is a section :15 on the line 2 2 in Fig.1 lookingtoward the right. 10. denotes the frame of an automobile, whichmay be of any ordinary or preferred construction; 11, the rear axle; 12, the rear wheels; 13, bolsters, and 14' springs, to which go the frame is attached.

it should. be understood that the special onstruction of the automobile to which it is lied is wholly immaterial so far as the at nciplo of the inventionis concerned.

lhc essential feature of the invention is arr-oscillatory shaft, (indicated by 15,) carrying shoes (indicated by 16) which are normally swung upward out of the way, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and in use are forced 4o downward quickly against the ground, form-' ing a drag, and if suflicicnt power is applied to the shaf t will lift the rear axle and wheels from the ground, thus bringing the machine v almost instantly to a standstill. As the driving mechanism of the automobile forms no ortion of the present invention, 1 have omitted it entirely for the sake of clearness. The shaft is journaled. in brackets 17, which maybe suspended in any suitable manner o from the rear axle. In. the presentinstance l" lu-ive shown these brackets as formed intefli 'al with the bolsters, although this is a detail of construction which may be varied to suit the requirements of. different types of anfiipeelfication of Letters Patent.' Application and November 9, 1906. Serial No. 512,656.

' Iratented Apr i1 16,190;

the present instance the bolsters are provided with slots 18 (shown in dotted llnes only) to -receive the axle, and the inner side of each bracket is provided with an inwardly-extending bearing-piece 19. cured to the. caring-pieces by screws or bolts 21. The axle is loosely inclosed between the Cap-pieces 20 are sebearing-pieces and the cap-pieces, so as to permit the axle torotate freely. The shoes may .be secured to the shaft in any suitable manner. In the present instance I have shown the shoes as provided with hubs 22, through which the ends'of the shaft are passed, 1; e hubs being secured to theshaft by means of set-screws 23 or in any suitable manner.

The special mode'in which the shaft is oscillated to set the brake is likewise not of the essence of the invention. In the present instance I have shown the shaft as rovided with a pulley 24, whose hub 251s locked thereto by means of set-screws 26 or in any suitable manner. A chain 27 is shown as passing about the. pulley and as secured thereto by a screw 28. This chain extends to any suitable operatin mechanism, (not shown,) as specifically it orms no portion of the resent invention; It will be undo;

st'oo of course, that it is immaterial so far as the brake itself is concerned how the power is ap lied to operate it. v

It will e obvious that the operating means Will necessarily vary greatly in different types of machines. It is sufficient for the pur oses of this'specification to say that the bra e may be operated by means of a hand lever or wheel or a foot-lever conveniently placedfor instant o eration in the- Havlng thus described my invention, I

1. A brake of the character described comprising an oscillatory shaft, means for suspending said shaft rigidly below. the rear axle of a vehicle, shoes carried directly by down upon the ground, as

LOO

Inu obiles to which the brake applied. In i said shaft,.and means for directly oscillating the shaft to force the shoes downward against the ground and raise the axle.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of rigidly-supported brackets extending below the rear axle of the vehicle, an oscillatory shaft journaled in said brackets, shoes extending rearwardly from said oscillatory shaft and rigidly connected therewith, and means for directly oscillating the shaft to force the shoes against the ground to raise the axle.

3. A brake of the diameter described com prising an oscillatory shaft, shoes carried thereby, e bolsterhaving slots to receive the axle, and hearing-pieces, cap-pieces secured to the bearing-pieces and inclosing the axle loosely brackets depending from the holsters in which the shaft is jonrnaled, and means for oscillating the shaft, substantially as described, for the purpose speeilied.

4. A brake of the character described. comprising ail-oscillatory shaft, shoes carried directly thereby in position to {bear on the ground, a pulley on said shaft, an operatingr he.

Witnesses 2 HOWARD HZ Woom AN, WILLIAM PLATT, 2nd. 

